These are the most common, essential words and phrases you will use or hear every day — perfect for greetings, being polite, asking questions, and simple conversations. All include pronunciation and notes on formal/informal use.
Greetings & Introductions
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buongiorno | bwon‑jor‑no | Good morning / Good day / Hello Formal — use until about 12:00 / 13:00 |
| Buonasera | bwon‑ah‑seh‑rah | Good evening / Good afternoon Formal — use from midday onwards |
| Buonanotte | bwon‑ah‑not‑teh | Good night Only used when saying goodbye at night / before sleeping |
| Ciao | chow | Hi / Hello / Bye / See you Informal — only with friends, family, people your age or younger |
| Salve | sal‑veh | Hello / Hi Neutral — polite but not too formal, safe to use with anyone |
| Come stai? | koh‑meh stah‑ee | How are you? Informal |
| Come sta? | koh‑meh stah | How are you? Formal |
| Sto bene, grazie | stoh beh‑neh, grat‑syeh | I’m well, thank you |
| Molto bene | mol‑toh beh‑neh | Very well |
| Non c’è male | non cheh mah‑leh | Not bad / Not too bad |
| E tu? / E Lei? | eh too / eh leh‑ee | And you? tu = informal | Lei = formal |
| Piacere di conoscerti | pyah‑cheh‑reh dee koh‑noh‑sher‑tee | Nice to meet you Informal |
| Piacere di conoscerLa | pyah‑cheh‑reh dee koh‑noh‑sher‑lah | Nice to meet you Formal |
| Mi chiamo… | mee kyah‑moh… | My name is… / I am called… |
| Come ti chiami? | koh‑meh tee kyah‑mee | What is your name? Informal |
| Come si chiama? | koh‑meh see kyah‑mah | What is your name? Formal |
Politeness & Courtesy
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Per favore | per fah‑voh‑reh | Please |
| Per piacere | per pyah‑cheh‑reh | Please Same meaning — equally common |
| Grazie | grat‑syeh | Thank you / Thanks |
| Mille grazie | mee‑leh grat‑syeh | Thank you very much / A thousand thanks |
| Grazie mille | grat‑syeh mee‑leh | Thank you very much |
| Prego | preh‑go | You’re welcome / Please / After you / Go ahead Very versatile word! |
| Di niente | dee nee‑en‑teh | You’re welcome / It’s nothing |
| Non c’è di che | non cheh dee keh | You’re welcome / Don’t mention it |
| Scusi | skoo‑zee | Excuse me / Sorry / Pardon Formal — use to get attention or apologise |
| Scusa | skoo‑zah | Excuse me / Sorry Informal |
| Mi scusi | mee skoo‑zee | I apologise / Excuse me |
| Permesso? | per‑mes‑so | May I? / Excuse me (to pass through / enter) |
| Mi dispiace | mee dee‑spyah‑cheh | I am sorry / I regret |
Agreement, Understanding & Communication
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sì | see | Yes |
| No | noh | No |
| Forse | for‑seh | Maybe / Perhaps |
| Va bene | vah beh‑neh | Okay / That’s fine / All right |
| D’accordo | dah‑kor‑doh | Agreed / Okay / That’s right |
| Certamente | cher‑tah‑men‑teh | Certainly / Of course |
| Naturalmente | nah‑too‑ral‑men‑teh | Naturally / Of course |
| Capisco | kah‑pee‑sko | I understand / I see |
| Non capisco | non kah‑pee‑sko | I don’t understand |
| Non ho capito | non oh kah‑pee‑toh | I didn’t understand / I haven’t understood |
| Parla inglese? | par‑lah een‑gleh‑zeh | Do you speak English? Formal |
| Parli inglese? | par‑lee een‑gleh‑zeh | Do you speak English? Informal |
| Non parlo italiano | non par‑loh ee‑tah‑lyah‑no | I don’t speak Italian |
| Parlo un po’ di italiano | par‑loh oon poh dee ee‑tah‑lyah‑no | I speak a little Italian |
| Può ripetere, per favore? | pwo ree‑peh‑teh‑reh, per fah‑voh‑reh | Could you repeat, please? Formal |
| Più lentamente, per favore | pyoo len‑tah‑men‑teh, per fah‑voh‑reh | More slowly, please |
Question Words
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chi? | kee | Who? |
| Cosa? / Che cosa? | koh‑zah / keh koh‑zah | What? |
| Dove? | doh‑veh | Where? |
| Quando? | kwan‑doh | When? |
| Perché? | per‑keh | Why? / Because? |
| Quale? / Quali? | kwah‑leh / kwah‑lee | Which? / Which ones? |
| Quanto? / Quanta? | kwan‑toh / kwan‑tah | How much? (masculine / feminine) |
| Quanti? / Quante? | kwan‑tee / kwan‑teh | How many? (masculine / feminine plural) |
| Come? | koh‑meh | How? |
Common Adjectives
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Buono / Buona | bwo‑no / bwo‑nah | Good / Nice |
| Cattivo / Cattiva | kat‑tee‑vo / kat‑tee‑vah | Bad / Poor |
| Grande | gran‑deh | Big / Large / Great |
| Piccolo / Piccola | pee‑koh‑lo / pee‑koh‑lah | Small / Little |
| Nuovo / Nuova | nwo‑vo / nwo‑vah | New |
| Vecchio / Vecchia | veh‑kyoh / veh‑kyah | Old |
| Bello / Bella | beh‑lo / beh‑lah | Beautiful / Nice / Handsome |
| Brutto / Brutta | broo‑to / broo‑tah | Ugly / Bad / Unpleasant |
| Facile | fah‑chee‑leh | Easy |
| Difficile | dee‑fee‑chee‑leh | Difficult / Hard |
| Vicino / Vicina | vee‑chee‑no / vee‑chee‑nah | Near / Close |
| Lontano / Lontana | lon‑tah‑no / lon‑tah‑nah | Far / Distant |
| Costoso / Costosa | kos‑toh‑zo / kos‑toh‑zah | Expensive |
| Economico / Economica | eh‑koh‑noh‑mee‑ko / eh‑koh‑noh‑mee‑kah | Cheap / Inexpensive |